US Deaths Down 7% Over Last Year, But Still Higher Than Before Pandemic

AP: US Deaths Fell This Year, But Not To Pre-COVID Levels 
The number of U.S. deaths dropped this year, but there are still more than there were before the coronavirus hit. Preliminary data — through the first 11 months of the year — indicates 2022 will see fewer deaths than the previous two COVID-19 pandemic years. Current reports suggest deaths may be down about 3% from 2020 and about 7% vs. 2021. (Stobbe, 12/14)

In related news —

CIDRAP: Global COVID Activity Remains Stable, But Deaths On The Rise
Global COVID-19 cases remained steady last week for the third week in a row, though deaths rose and infection levels in the Americas, especially the United States, continued to rise, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its latest snapshot of the pandemic. (Schnirring, 12/14)

Bloomberg: Long-Covid Immune Effects Seen Linked With High Global Deaths
Virus-damaged organs and compromised immune systems are just part of Covid’s public-health legacy; there’s also a litany of secondary effects still being measured, ranging from increases in mental illness to delays in getting cancer treatment. Some doctors also blame Covid for worsening the effects of other diseases, as with the cases of flu and respiratory syncytial virus now mobbing children’s hospitals. (Gale, 12/14)

On the vaccine rollout —

The Hill: Fauci Responds To DeSantis’s Call For COVID-19 Vaccine Investigation
Outgoing White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci said Wednesday that he “doesn’t have a clue” what Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hopes to accomplish by calling for a state grand jury investigation into alleged “crimes” related to COVID-19 vaccines.  “I don’t have a clue … what he’s asking for. I mean, we have a vaccine that, unequivocally, is highly effective and safe and has saved literally millions of lives,” Fauci, who is also the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), told CNN’s Kate Bolduc. (Mueller, 12/14)  

NBC News: Two Years After Covid Vaccines Came Out, Researchers Push For New Options
The U.S. is currently recording around 430 Covid deaths per day, on average, according to NBC News’ tally. That includes many people who received at least two Covid shots: Six in 10 adults who died of Covid in August were vaccinated or boosted, according to a report by KFF, a nonprofit health think tank. And for the most part, vaccinated people don’t avoid infections or reinfections anymore. (Bendix, 12/14)

In other pandemic news —

Fox News: COVID Origins 'May Have Been Tied' To China's Bioweapons Program: GOP Report
Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee are alleging in a newly released report that there are "indications" that COVID-19 could be tied to China’s biological weapons research program and "spilled over" to the general human population during an incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. (Sabes and Laco, 12/14)

Roll Call: Post-Pandemic, CDC Faces ‘Uphill Battle’ For Backing In New Congress
Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's flaws have never been more public or politicized, and the agency’s director wants to seize this moment to overhaul the agency, making it more nimble and responsive to public health emergencies. But there's one major problem — she needs Congress' help. And she is losing key allies. (Cohen, 12/15)

Reuters: WHO Chief Hopes COVID Will No Longer Be Emergency Next Year 
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday he is "hopeful" that the COVID-19 pandemic will no longer be considered a global emergency some time next year. ... A WHO body meets every few months to decide whether the new coronavirus, which emerged three years ago in China's Wuhan and has killed more than 6.6 million people, still represents a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC). (Farge, 12/14)